god's 7 principles of artistic purposeartlessonsfromgod.com/7principles.pdf · god's 7...

God's 7 Principles of Artistic Purpose

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PRINCIPLE 1:

1. God is a creative God.The first thing that we learn about God’s personality is that He is creative.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface ofthe deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.….(continues)”Genesis 1:1-31

The first thing that God reveals to us about His personality is that He is a verycreative God. The first 5 words in the Bible are “In The Beginning God Created-”.This shows an artist how there are many similarities between himself and theOne that gave Him his talent in the first place. Take for example:

Imagination- If you are like most creatives, you usually find yourself imagining thething you will create first before you create it. The ability to visualize and see theunseen before you create it is a special and unique ability. You may find yourselfthe only person who can “see” the design, the image or whatever that invisiblething is. That’s your imagination.Now, picture God imagining everything He was going to create before Heactually created it, how He wants it to look, the colors…sound familiar? In the firstchapter of Genesis, God imagines the creation, it comes into being, and Hechecks it out and gives His stamp of approval because it’s just the way Heimagined it in the first place: “Let there be light…and there was light…and Godsaw that the light was good.”

So, we see the creative side of God before seeing anything else about Him. Acreative God with an imagination. A designer who measures His work based onhow He first imagined it. This shows the artist that these same shared traitsoriginated from His creator.



PRINCIPLE 2:

God created you in His image. He designed you to be creative just like Heis.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and letthem rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over thelivestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along theground.” So God created man in his own image,in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."Genesis 1:26-27

God made you in 2 ways:

1. In His image2. And in His likeness

What’s the difference?

Image- means you are God’s Representative on Earth. This is like a Manager. Amanager runs the business for The Boss! He has been given power and authorityby the Boss to run things just like the Boss would run things.

Likeness- means you have similar ways or a nature like God’s nature (such asbeing creative)! Notice out of every creature that God created, we are the onlyone that can imagine, design and create any form of artistic expression…just likeHim.

An example of Likeness can be found with a parent and their child. Manychildren grow to behave and even look like their parents. That is because part ofthe parent (genes, etc.) is actually inside the child! Many artists have parents orchildren that are artistic like they are.



PRINCIPLE 3:

Your creative ability and talent is a gift FROM God given specifically TOyou for the benefit of OTHERS.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

Although your creative ability and talent is something that God has given TO you,it’s primary purpose is not meant FOR YOU only. God’s purpose for your gift is tobe a benefit or solution for someone else who needs it. What this means to youas an artist is that the pursuit and development of your talent is importantbecause there is someone out there who needs what you can do. God foresaw toequip you with the gift and talent that you have because He also foresaw how Heneeded it used to benefit others.

The bible shows us the following pattern:

1. God is planning on doing something that helps the needs of a particulargroup of people.

2. God identifies a particular person (or persons) that He wants to join Him inaccomplishing the plan to fulfill the need of those people.

3. God equips the person that’s joining Him in the work with the spiritualand/or physical capabilities necessary in helping the people that need it.

An example of this specific to artists would be Bezaleel and Aholiab, two artistsfrom the nation of Israel under the leadership of Moses as told from the book ofExodus:

GOD PLANS TO HELP A PEOPLE IN NEED- Because of God’s plan for them inthe Promised Land, the nation of Israel had a need of seeing the “God with us”concept illustrated. God chose to illustrate this through the Tabernacle (the tentin the wilderness where God met with His people) along with its furnishings,including the Ark of the Covenant. He chose Bezaleel and Aholiab to be theartists that would create the tabernacle and its artistic elements.

GOD IDENTIFIES AND EQUIPS ARTISTS TO FULFILL THE NEED- Exodus31:1-11 tells us how God empowered Bezaleel and Aholiab with His Spirit, inwisdom, understanding and knowledge. These two artists could have taken theirgift and began using it to create whatever they wanted, but God specificallyidentified the primary task at hand. Their creative talent was not for a purposeisolated to themselves, but their talent was for others who needed to experiencewhat they created.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU AS AN ARTIST? Although your gift andtalent can motivate and inspire you alone, its primary purpose is to benefit or



serve as a solution to others. That need can be as seemingly simple as decorand design elements for their home, church or office, to more complex issues ofcommunicating concepts through graphic design or illustration.

SO, WHO NEEDS WHAT YOU HAVE? By understanding the unique capabilitiesof what you can do as an artist, you will know who is in need of your skills andabilities. If you understand that God has given you a passion for creating comics,along with the skill and know-how to do it, you will discover those that need tohave those comics created (readers, publishers or both). If your artistic gift isGraphic Design, there are those out there in need of your skills whether as anemployer or client.

The key to finding out who needs your talent is by staying connected to Christ.Within a relationship with Christ as our Lord and Savior, we communicate withHim daily through prayer and reading of His word. Through this connection, theSpirit of God will allow you to cross paths with those that are in need of yourtalents.



PRINCIPLE 4:

God has an assignment for you to complete using your creative abilities.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosperyou and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah29:11

I’ve always said that God never does anything without reason. Everything that Hedoes is a part of a plan. God has never created a person without having a planand purpose in mind for that person’s life. This concept really applies to the artist.God never gives a creative talent to someone without having a plan in mind forthe use of that talent.

Usually, your assignment has something to do with something that you have apassion for (such as your art) or something that you really hate.

A burning question that all mankind has asked, “Why am I here?”, relates to yourPURPOSE. How do you discover God’s purpose for your life? I recently heard amessage that uncovers 4 “roads” or indicators that can lead to you identifyingyour purpose. Here`s my take on how they especially relate to the artist:

a. Passion- That God-given desire or burden that you can’t get rid of. That thingthat you would do even if no one paid you to do it. As an artist, it could becreating a series of paintings to exhibit, starting your freelance design business inorder to help small businesses, or starting a Visual Arts ministry in your localchurch to train leaders and teach others.

b. Ability- The skill, talent and know-how that you possess that allows you to dosomething exceptionally well. As an artist, this could be your basic drawing skillsor your mastery of Photoshop. It could be your ability to tell a story throughsequential art, or the ability to speak to a crowd as you use your art tocommunicate a concept.

c. Experiences- The things that have occurred or you have observed in your life,whether positive or negative, that have had an impact or have influenced yourperspective.

d. Opportunities- The doors that are opening to you. Needs that you are beingasked to fulfill, solutions that you have the answer to. The “Experiencing God”bible study program by Henry Blakaby and Claude King describes this as Godalready at work around you and inviting you to join Him in it.



PRINCIPLE 5:

God will enable and equip you to complete your assignment.

“And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by nameBezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; And he hath filledhim with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and inall manner of workmanship; And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and insilver, and in brass, And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving ofwood, to make any manner of cunning work. And he hath put in his heart that hemay teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of theengraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and inpurple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do anywork, and of those that devise cunning work.”

Exodus 35:30-35

God shows us that wherever He has called us to go or whatever task He hasassigned us to, He will never send us to accomplish it unequipped. God eitherdraws out skill and ability that lie deep within us or He supernaturally adds to thenatural ability we already possess. Either way, it is God that ultimately gets thework done through a willing artist or designer.



PRINCIPLE 6:

If you are not connected to God, you cannot complete your assignment.Your talent becomes misused or wasted.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch inme that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that itwill be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I havespoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruitby itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remainin me.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he willbear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain inme, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches arepicked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

John 15: 1-6

God has given artists the raw talent to create. Training and practice help refinethat talent, but when it comes to doing an assignment or accomplishing a taskthat God has planned involving your creativity, it can ONLY be done with theempowerment from God working with the basic talent. No matter what level ofnatural skill and experience an artist has, they can not accomplish something ofKingdom value (God’ s plan) without yielding your talent to the Holy Spirit.

There is a gap that prevents us from surrendering that natural talent to thesupernatural influence of the one that created that talent. The Spirit of God isperfect in every way, yet the artist that He created and wishes to connect with isseparated from Him by the inclination to reject God’s way of doing things andimperfection.



PRINCIPLE 7:

If you stay connected to God, He will show you how to complete yourassignment.

“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carryit on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

Although I don’t want to sound like what some would call “preachy”, but I must behonest. The only way to bridge the afore mentioned gap between God and theartist that He created is by accepting Christ as Savior. He was sent with thepurpose of being the bridge between God, who is perfect and without corruption,and corruptible man. When the artist accepts Christ into his life, the artist takeson a new nature. The spirit of the artist now is connected with the Spirit of Godand can be in tune with the mind of God as He directs his creativity as well as histotal life.

SUMMARY:

1. God is a creative God.

2. God created you in His image. He designed you to be creative justlike He is.

3. Your creative ability and talent is a gift FROM God given specificallyTO you for the benefit of OTHERS.

4. God has an assignment for you to complete using your creativeabilities.

5. God will enable and equip you to complete your assignment.

6. If you are not connected to God, you cannot complete yourassignment. Your talent becomes misused or wasted.

7. If you stay connected to God, He will show you how to complete yourassignment

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